2025 sees the release of The Comeback Trail. A remake of the 1982 film of the same name. The film is in poor taste and crass. It also, pretty much, spits in the face of The Church. It has very few truly funny moments. However, at the risk of putting myself in a bad place here, I did chuckle a few times.
Having said all that, The Comeback Trail is not meant to be taken seriously. It is a loving look at all those Hollywood tropes and cliches. Showing that part of Tinseltown mythology that has been floating around since Edison.
The Comeback Trail Story
Max Barber is deep in debt to movie loving mobster Reggie Fontaine. After their film bombs at the box office, Max desperately needs a hit. He and his partner Walter hire the aging and depressed western star Duke Montana. Max wants to βaccidentallyβ kill his star for the insurance. He convinces Reggie that this βscamβ is the way to go.
Despite everything going wrong the film gets made.
The Cast
Robert De Niro is Max.
Tommy Lee Jones is Duke Montana.
Morgan Freeman is Reggie.
Zach Braff is Walter.
Emile Hirsch is James Moore.
Sheryl Lee Ralph is Bess Jones.
Kate Katzman is Megan Albert.
The Comeback Trail BTS
George Gallo directs and co-writes this one. *Josh Posner shares writing credit along with the late Harry Hurwitz.* DP Lucas Bielan does a brilliant job here. The action scenes look impeccable and the closeups are tight and impressive. Music by Aldo Shllaku brings to mind the feeling of the original Mel Brooks comedy The Producers.
John M. Vitale edits almost spotlessly here. Sadly, all this is a wasted effort. This is a film that falls so short in many areas, that it hurts.
*The same can be said for the musical score. Shllaku brings to mind City Slickers and many other western themed films put out over the last few years. The Comeback Trail is just not funny enough to warrant such sterling efforts. Sorry chaps.
It doesnβt work
The Comeback Trail is The Producers without the side splitting humour. The main reason this does not work is down to the cast. Jones manages to provide more gravitas than Freeman. Although it is close. These two know that to do good comedy, it needs to be played straight. Freeman as Reggie comes close to over playing, but he manages to reign it in.
Sure, there are moments that, despite the script and the performances, are funny. But good comedy has an element of pathos and heartbreak. The Comeback Trail has missed out on being effortlessly funny by losing the latter bits of the comedic formula.
The Verdict
The Comeback Trail barely earns 3 stars. I wanted to like this one. It has a splendid cast. The film should have worked. Sadly, the folks making this one do not understand the chemistry of comedy.
This may be the reason that a film finished in 2020 was not released until 2025.
It is streaming on Paramount Plus right now.
the trailer
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